Moody moors alight for burning season

A young boy spends his October half term a little differently to the other kids, heather-burning on the North Yorkshire Moors near Whitby, with his mum and Dad. The controlled fires are started by landowners in order to create the ideal living conditions for moorland animals and birds, such as Grouse. Without heather burning the moorland would become overgrown and unmanageable. October 26 2015.

Published:15:09Thursday 29 October 2015

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Dark, moody, smoky skies swirling around with strong Autumnal colours and the purple flora - the heather burning season has returned to the North York Moors.

Former Gazette photographer Ceri Oakes captured the moment this family joined landowners and gamekeepers who were carrying out controlled burning off the A169 Whitby to Pickering Road near RAF Fylingdales.

Heather burning is a recognised land management method for allowing new growth of plants which provide food for sheep and nesting birds.

In upland areas it is carried out between October and April between sunrise and sunset.